What happened between Coldplay and Dave Holmes? Rock band pay 7-figure sum to their ex-manager as they settle lawsuit

On July 3, 2024, news broke that Coldplay finally settled the lawsuit between the British band and Dave Holmes, its former manager of 22 years. The Sun reported that paperwork filed at London's High Court in May showed that the band and Holmes agreed on an undisclosed 7-figure settlement.

Coldplay and Holmes ended their partnership in 2022. In August 2023, Holmes sued the band for 10 million pounds over a contractual dispute. He alleged he was not paid for his contributions towards the band's unreleased 10th and 11th albums, which included organizing recording sessions, samples, and string arrangements.

In October, the British band counter-sued for 14 million pounds, alleging Holmes overspent on their ‘Music Of The Spheres’ world tour by over £17.5 million. The suit also added that the former manager took out two loans from Live Nation, a multinational company that manages ticketing sales, without the band's knowledge.

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Coldplay reportedly settled the lawsuit to prevent private details from becoming public

According to MailOnline, Dave Holmes left Coldplay in 2022 when the latter's contract ended and the band decided not to renew it. In August 2023, Holmes sued the band over unpaid commissions. His attorney, Phil Sherrell, told Variety,

“Holmes successfully managed Coldplay for more than 22 years, steering them to be one of the most successful bands in history. Now Coldplay is refusing to pay him what he is owed.”

However, the band counter-sued its former manager just months after the lawsuit, claiming he owed them damages after he overspent on their ‘Music Of The Spheres’ world tour. In their lawsuit, the band alleged Holmes spent 10.6 million euros on "16 bespoke stage pylons" for lighting and video, which became too expensive to use.

The documents added Holmes allegedly bought a $9.7 million "visual project known as Jet Screen" that was only used in 10 shows out of the 165-show world tour as it was reportedly too big.

Another allegation the band brought forth was that Holmes received a $30 million loan from Live Nation without the band's knowledge. The court documents stated,

"It is to be inferred that Mr Holmes was only able to acquire loans totalling $30 million at a fixed annual interest rate of 2.72 per cent from Live Nation by virtue of his position as Coldplay's manager."

Live Nation's statement to The Times regarding this issue noted the ticketing conglomerate had a "long-standing relationship" with the band, adding,

"Any past dealings with their management team were considered an extension of this relationship."

In May 2024, the band reportedly agreed to a 7-figure settlement with Dave Holmes, to prevent private details of the band from becoming public knowledge in court.

The band, comprising frontman Chris Martin, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion, and guitarist Jonny Buckland, is now managed by Phil Harvey, their long-time friend, and associate, often dubbed the band's fifth member, along with Mandi Frost and Arlene Moon.

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In other news, Coldplay headlined the Glastonbury Festival for a record-breaking fifth time. The festival ran from June 26 to June 30 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset.

The band, known for its hit songs like Yellow, Fix You, The Scientist, and Viva la Vida, is currently on the European leg of its 'Music Of The Spheres' world tour, with the next show scheduled for July 12 in Rome.